US to deliver COVID-19 Assistance to India; medical supplies worth over USD100 million

In order to provide urgent relief, the United States is going to deliver medical supplies worth more than USD 100 million to India in the coming days as the country battles a new wave of COVID-19 cases, said the White House. The US state governments, private companies, non-government organisations and thousands of Americans from across the country have mobilised to deliver vital oxygen-related equipment and essential supplies to Indian hospitals during the current outbreak, the White House said. 

US government assistance flights will start arriving in India on  April 29 (Thursday) and will continue into next week, said the White House.

COVID-19 Assistance by the US for India

According to the Fact Sheet issued by the Biden administration on Wednesday, under the Immediate U.S. Emergency COVID-19 Assistance, the United States will provide:

• Washington will provide 1700 oxygen concentrators, an initial delivery of 1,100 cylinders, multiple large-scale Oxygen Generation Units to support up to 20 patients each, to India.
• Initial delivery of 1,100 cylinders will remain in India and can be repeatedly refilled at local supply centres, with more planeloads to come.  
• Multiple large-scale units to support up to 20 patients each, and additional mobile units will provide an ability to target specific shortages. A team of U.S. experts will support these units, working hand-in-hand on the ground with Indian medical personnel. 
• 15 million N95 masks to protect both patients and Indian health care personnel. 
•  The U.S. has re-directed its own order of AstraZeneca's manufacturing supplies to India. This will allow India to make over 20 million doses of COVID-19 vaccine.
• 1 million rapid diagnostic tests – the same type used by the White House — to provide reliable results in less than 15 minutes to help identify and prevent community spread. 

US' Solidarity for India 

The United States and India have closely worked together to respond to the COVID-19 pandemic and the country is determined to help India in its time of need, the White House said. 

"Just as India sent assistance to the United States when our hospitals were strained early in the pandemic, the United States is determined to help India in its time of need. U.S. COVID-19 assistance has reached more than 9.7 million Indians across more than 20 states and union territories, providing life-saving treatments, disseminating public health messages to local communities; strengthening case-finding and surveillance; and mobilizing innovative financing mechanisms to bolster emergency preparedness," the fact sheet read.

The United States, in partnership with the government of India and the World Health Organization, has supported initiatives at the district, state and national levels to build frontline disease detection capacity. In order to advance global health security and fight outbreaks before they become pandemics, both the countries are closely working together, the White House added.

(With Agency Inputs)

(Image Credits: PTI/AP/REPRESENTATIVEIMAGE)